Side Story 1 : behind the pictures

A month before the pictures released.

What a sly grin! Yang Yoseob ran fast through the emergency stair. It wasn’t because the lift of his apartment didn’t work, it just because he didn’t want to wait any longer. This man though believed it could be considered as a new way of exercise.

The leather backpack on his back bounced up and down. His feet worked fast and careful, his hands secured inside the pocket. And still, that sly grin plastered well on his face. The thought of meeting her distracted him from the exhaustion.

Once he reached the basement, he took his phone out from the pocket, planning to send a text to her, but another text stop him from running.

From: Yongie

There’s a trouble, come to studio! We need to rerecord some parts. Especially your part.

He sighed silently. Again? Yang Yoseob needed to curse, but he canceled it fast. And instead, he groaned audibly. He clenched his fist, he gritted his teeth, doing aything to control his anger.

Maybe because their comeback was too anticipated. Maybe because it had been a year since their last comeback. Maybe because people started to expect more. The members, especially Junhyung worked ten times harder. It was a good thing, indeed. But it sometimes ruined their mood. Junhyung often lost his coolness. Taejoo sometimes looked desperate. And the rest members were affected easily. Their management though didn’t give them much good push, they just kept telling Junhyung how they much trusted him.

Being a good friend he was, Yoseob tried to understand. Junhyung and Taejoo as Beast producer had so much burden on their shoulder. And he knew his limit. He did. Thus, he chose to call her.

“Um, oppa?” her high spirit voice greeted him, like usual. He really didn’t like the idea of disappointing this girl. They had planned this date for a week. Matching their schedule was hard, and today eventually came, but then he had to cancel it.

“Are you on your way? Hihi, I’m ready, I even wear the jacket you bought from Japan. It’s warm, I like it!”

This, he stopped himself from sighing. This guy really hated the thought of her changing voice.

“Ji, there is something wrong in studio .. I think .. we have to cancel our date. I’m sorry,” he said in one line. It was better this way. He ready to hear her usual okay then, don’t mind me. Go work diligently!

But it wasn’t. She gave him silence. He waited, sensing something wrong. Three, four, five seconds he waited before eventually called her name.

“Are you mad?”

Again, she gave him silence.

“Ji, are you listening?”

“I’m thinking, oppa,” said her, still in nothing-wrong voice.

“What thinking?” he now felt relieved. Yoseob then continued his walk toward his car.

“A punishment? Hihi, I think I should sometimes give you punishment.”

And just like that his grin rose up. This girl was indeed not ordinary girl. Actually it relieved him rather than hearing her usual reply. He too wanted to know whether she was really fine or she was just faking being fine. But her voice indeed proved him that she was truly fine. This girl was such a blessing for him.

“What is it?” he asked as he the engine.

“Can I ..”

“Huhum?”

“.. date someone else?”

“Ya!”

“I met Seungyoon, Kang Seungyoon Winner yesterday, and he asked me ..”

“Jung Eunji!”

“.. for a date. Also Insung oppa called me last night, he wanted to introduce exo D.O. to me. I think it’s not a bad thing ..”

“You can’t! Don’t that hyung know you’re mine?!”

“But still, exo D.O seems good. He acts well oppa .. he sings well too .. he seems nice ..”

“Ish! Don’t make a joke like that!”

“Wae? It’s not funny .. ? Hihi.. also Siwan oppa ..”

“You can’t! Don’t go! Stay at dorm!”

With that, his shout filled his car. And her victory chuckle replied him. Their bickering lingered long, and it wasn’t bad thing at all. Without him realizing, Eunji was literally accompanying him the whole way into Cube building. And without him knowing it was such cute punishment from her.

“Ji, I’ll call you later,” he said before pushing the studio door.

“Huhum oppa, work hard but don’t push yourself too much!”

“I know .. bye .. love you!”

His smirk stayed longer, that he didn’t realize the members now frowning for the crazy look on his face. Once his eyes met theirs, he didn’t even bother to erase that sly smirk.

“What?” arrogantly he challenged them.

“Jashik!”

“I need a girlfriend too!”

“Is dating damage your brain?!”

“Damn!”

_____

Eunji was about to sleep when her phone buzzing, she got up immediately to reach the phone. Standing in front of the table, she frowned looking at the ID caller. It was him and it was also past midnight. He should be at home, resting. Or maybe, just maybe .. he was tired from the recording and missed her.

“I really hate that smile!” She looked up for the sudden voice, and her eyes met the envy glare from her best friend.

“I love you too!” fast she replied her before come back to her bed. Totally ignoring Yoon Bomi who now getting curious.

“Yes, oppa?”

“Are you sleeping?” There he greeted her.

“Of course not, I’m answering your phone right now.” And he chuckled next to her ears. It sounded so much alluring that she felt her cheeks getting warmer. Blushing was an ordinary thing for her, and it still hard to be handled. She really needed to learn how to control it.

It didn’t make sense, sometimes. They had been dating almost a year, yet his chuckle still affected her so much. She was glad Yoseob rarely caught it.

“I mean are you sleepy?”

Her smile getting thinner yet longer, “not really, I don’t have nothing to do, and no schedule tomorrow. So I decided to try to sleep, then you called.”

He hummed then. Yet didn’t respond more. He might be trying to process something right now. She knew this side of him, he was trying to manage things by himself. Maybe because their comeback. He said Cube and Beast had really worked hard preparing this comeback. She understood this. It was part of her life too.

But she knew that her oppa was worrying her too much. He didn’t want to disappoint her even though she continuously assured him she was fine. He felt bad every time he had to cancel their date, and just like this early evening. It was actually good, that she had found a way to cheer him up. But he didn’t sound good right now. Something might have happened during the recording.

“Should we meet?” she said, sensing the need to comfort him.

“Eh?”

“Are you having rest right now?”

“No, actually I ..”

“Yes?”

“Actually, I’m in front of your apartment.”

Her smile formed, this oppa surely was having hard time. “Ok, I’ll come down. Wait there oppa!”

“Are you fine with it?” he still sounded too worry her.

“Yes. Should I wear the jacket you bought?”

His chuckle blurted out softly, “you should!”

“Ok, wait there. Five minutes!”

“Get it!”

Her smile plastered, and without her knowing Yoon Bomi had delayed her sleep, she really enjoyed the happy look on her best friend’s face. Dating and